Fix You
by Lechaton171
Summary: Yuuri is living with Victor in Russia and has a medical emergency. Victor must pull himself together to support Yuuri while fearing the worst. Will be multi chapter. VictorxYuuri. rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

It was such a normal day, the day that our lives changed forever.

Looking back, I admit the warning signs had been there for some time. Yuuri and I had been training every day, getting ready for the next season to start. Yuuri had moved back home to Russia with me, and was living in my apartment. Everything had been going exactly as I could have wished. We were growing every day, as skaters, as lovers, as people. I had never been happier in my life. But, as I said, there were warning signs that something was off. It started with the headaches. Yuuri started getting headaches even before he moved to Russia. I had told him on more than one occasion that maybe he should see a doctor for some relief, but Yuuri shrugged it off and said that it was just caused by stress or by his change of living. He stopped complaining about his head at all, though I could tell it still bothered him. I found him one night vomiting in the bathroom, drenched in sweat. I made him take the next day off and he had seemed to feel better after that.

Things started to go off in practice as well. He started to have trouble landing his jumps. Knowing how he had been in the past, I assumed that he must have had something troubling him that he wasn't telling me. Yuuri swore that he didn't but I didn't believe him. He had come so far and had been doing so well. I could only assume that his regression had something to do with his mental health, and I pressured him to talk to me about it. But he kept saying that he was happy. It led to several arguments between us.

Now, I feel horrible for the way I had treated him. Because now it all makes perfect sense, and he had been telling the truth all along.

We were at the ice rink with Yurio. The three of us had been working hard together, pushing each other to do better. Yurio was magnificent. I was beginning to believe that he would become more of a skater than even I could ever be. The way he moved was beautiful.

"Victor," Yuuri said to me, gliding over on his skates. "I think I'm going to call it a day. Is it okay if I just watch you two for now?"

"Tired already?" Yurio smirked, gliding by.

Yuuri did look tired and rather pale. He hadn't done much that day, and he hadn't landed his jumps in a couple weeks. Perhaps I was pushing him too much. But I felt like he was regressing, and I didn't like it.

"Are you sure?" I asked him, trying to read his face. "I haven't seen much improvement from you the past few days."

Yuuri looked at his feet. "I know. I-I'm trying, I promise. I think I just need…." He didn't finish his sentence, but shrugged. I put my hand on the small of his back and pulled him into me. A little flush came to his cheeks.

"What is that you need?" I murmured, grinning at him. He smiled weakly at me but said nothing. I felt a pit of worry in my stomach.

"Are you getting sick?" I asked him, putting my hand on his forehead to see if he had a fever. He shook his head.

"I don't know, maybe. I just feel kind of off."

I nodded. "Alright. You can head home if you need to, or you can stay and watch. Up to you. I'll make you some of my special tea tonight, and I'm sure you'll feel better in no time."

I kissed his forehead. We lingered like that for a moment, until Yurio yelled at us to get a room. We broke apart and Yuuri skated away. I turned back to Yurio. "Alright, enough distractions. I want to see you go through the routine again from the start. I still want to see you-"

Yurio looked past me and his face went from his usual impassive scowl to a look of concern. "Yuuri?" he called out. I turned just in time to see Yuuri crash down on to the ice. My heart dropped and I rushed over to him. His body was convulsing on the ice. Was he having a seizure? I felt panic start to rise in me but I fought it down.

"Yurio, call an ambulance!" I yelled over my shoulder to Yurio, who was standing frozen, looking scared. He seemed to snap out of it at my voice and took off to get a phone.

"Yuuri," I said, putting my hand on his face and his body continued to tremble. "Yuuri can you hear me?" I tried to remember what you were supposed to do in this situation. I know I had learned at some point. I gently turned Yuuri onto his side, remembering at least that much. I continued to speak soothingly to him. Thought it seemed to last an eternity, eventually his muscles relaxed. I continued to sooth him, one hand rubbing his back and the other squeezing his hand. The ice was cold, so I didn't want to leave him there. Gentle as I could be, I scooped him up bridal style and careful glided him off the ice. Yurio was there, on the phone, looking scared. It made him look years younger.

There was no good place to put Yuuri, so I took him into the locker room where it was at least warmer, Yurio trailing behind us. I placed Yuuri softly on a bench. Moving quickly, I dug my coat of the locker and threw it over him.

"Vi-Victor," he said weakly, his eyes barely opening to look at me.

"Shhh, it's okay," I said, grabbing his hand and kissing it. "I'm right here, and help is on the way. It's going to be okay."

He weakly squeezed my hand back. He closed his eyes again. I could feel my adrenaline leaving me as I started to shake. I was suddenly more afraid that I ever had been. Somehow I had shut my emotions off to try and focus on Yuuri while the seizure was happening. I could feel tears coming to my eyes, something quite foreign to me. _Calm down_ , I told myself. _Falling apart isn't going to help anything. Yuuri needs you to be strong for him_.

The ambulance arrived. They let me come along, and Yurio was stuck behind, still with that same look of fear on his face. I made sure to thank him as we left, in which he responded that he would be right behind us. The paramedics asked me questions: how long did the seizure last? Does he have prior history? Did he injure himself at all? I just replied to the best of my knowledge, watching him sleep. The ride to the hospital was short, and then they took him away from me. I tried to tell him that everything would be okay, but I don't think he heard me. I stood there and watched him until he disappeared into a room.

The doctor came to see me in the waiting room. Yurio had arrived a few minutes after I sat in the waiting room, looking like he had run the whole way there. Which was a possibility, but I didn't ask him. I had called Yuuri's family back in Japan to let them know what was happening. They helped me answer questions on his medical background and urged me to let them know as soon as I knew anything.

The doctor knew who I was and came up to me without asking my name. "Hello, Mr. Nikiforov. You are here with Mr. Katsuki, correct?"

"Yes, how is he?" I asked hurriedly, standing up.

"He is stable and resting. It does not seem that he sustained any injuries from his fall, aside from some minor bruising. We are taking him down to get an MRI scan done right now, to check and see if anything unusual comes up. It's possible this is an isolated incident, but at the very least I want to keep him over night to make sure another seizure doesn't occur. After the scan is complete we will move him to a room and you will be able to see him."

"When will we know what the scan says?" I asked.

"It won't take long. Our team will assess it and see if there is anything of interest, and then we will go over the results with you once we know what happened."

"Thank you," I answered, feeling suddenly tired. The stress of the past few hours was catching up with me. I sat back down next to Yurio and sighed. Yurio looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't. He wasn't the best at comforting others, and neither was I.

"I'm going to get a drink, do you want something?" he finally said, breaking the silence.

"Coffee," I answered. He nodded and got up without another word. I called Yuuri's mother and let her know what the doctor had said. I assured her they need not fly out at the moment and that everything was okay.

Yurio came back with my coffee and I drank it graciously. I was starting to feel guilty for pushing Yuuri today. I wondered if my training had caused this, but quickly shoved the thought aside, knowing better. I started to remember the headaches, the trouble with landing his jumps, and the nausea Yuuri had been experiencing and started to get nervous. I should have pushed him to get medical help sooner. Why had I believed it was just him being emotional? He had told me he was fine and happy and I didn't believe him.

"Mr. Nikiforov?" A nurse, looking nervous, approached me. "I can take you to see Yuuri now."

I jumped up and looked back at Yurio. "Go ahead," he told me. "I'll let everyone know what's going on. I'll come back later when he's feeling better."

I smiled at Yurio, which made him scowl at me, which was oddly comforting. "Thank you again, Yurio," I said, and followed the nurse.

Yuuri was awake when I reached the room. He was still pale and looked tired but managed to smile when he saw me. I walked straight into the room and pulled him into an embrace, holding him tightly. I heard the nurse say the doctors would be in to talk to us shortly, but I ignored her. I breathed in the smell of his hair, realizing how much I had needed to hold him like this. I put my forehead against his.

"Don't scare me like that again," I told him. He smiled.

"I'll try not to."

I let him lean back into his pillows and sat down on the bed, grabbing his hand and rubbing is softly. There was an IV taped to the top of it.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him, looking into his eyes.

"Tired," he said. "I don't really remember much of what happened. I was on ice with you and Yurio, and then I was here. The doctors said I had a seizure."

I nodded. "I called your parents and have been keeping them updated. They are worried about you and send their love."

Yuuri sighed. "I'll call my mother later, she won't feel better until I talk to her myself."

Just then, the doctors came in. They introduced themselves to us and explained who they were and what they did. I did not have much medical knowledge and it didn't mean much to me. All I needed to hear was the Yuuri was okay.

"We reviewed the MRI and had several of my staff look at it," the doctor explained. "We found something intriguing in the scan. I can show you here so you can see."

They put up some x-ray like film that showed images of Yuuri's brain. Even before the doctors pointed it out, I could see what they were going to show us.

"This here is what seems to be a tumor, located in the frontal lobe," the doctor said, circling the spot. "It's quite a good size at the time, which can explain many of the symptoms that you have been experiencing. It could have been growing for months."

I could heart my heart beat racing in my ears. I looked back down at Yuuri, his face looking rather blank and confused.

It was the day our lives changed forever.


	2. Chapter 2

We sat in silence, both of us trying to absorb what the doctors had said. I sat there, staring at my hands, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened in just the past few hours. Yuuri had a seizure, caused by a brain tumor. His headaches, sickness, and even his inability to skate well were all caused by the tumor that had been growing in his brain. At its current size and location, surgery would be the number one option. The doctors wanted to try and remove as much of the tumor as possible, and also find out whether or not the tumor was benign, or malignant. I had asked the doctor what it would mean if the tumor was malignant, but he only answered that they would talk about that if it came to it. I could only assume that meant that it would be very bad.

Yuuri was quiet as well. He hadn't made eye contact with me at all since the doctors had left. He was scared, I could tell.

"Yuuri," I said, reaching out and placing my hand on his face. He jumped in surprise. He looked at me, his eyes confused.

"I'm sorry," he said, placing his hand on top of mine. "I don't really know what to think right now."

"I know," I replied, kissing his forehead. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, okay? We will get through this together."

He looked at me, tears sparkling in his eyes, and nodded. I could see it coming; I had seen him break like this before. I pulled him into me and hugged him tight as sobs escaped his throat.

"I'm scared," he told me, and I hugged him tighter.

"I know," I whispered. I was too. "But you heard the doctors. You are young and healthy. You are going to be okay, Yuuri. I know it in my heart."

But I didn't.

Eventually his tears subsided and his breathing evened out into slow, steady breaths. I didn't even realize he had fallen asleep, his head nuzzled into my neck. I felt a burning in my throat as my own fear caught up with me. I gently placed Yuri against his pillows, careful not to wake him. I left the room, in search for the doctor. I found him out in the hall speaking with the nurse.

"I need you to give me everything as straight as possible," I told the doctor, interrupting his conversation. The doctor sighed and pulled me aside. He studied me for a moment, perhaps trying to read my emotions.

"Our first priority will be surgery to try and remove the tumor," the doctor explained. "If all goes well, we can remove it in its entirety. We will test the tissue to see whether or not the tumor is malignant. If it isn't, and the tumor is removed, then he will mostly likely make a full recovery barring any complications. If we cannot remove the entire tumor, we may use radiation therapy to remove the remaining cells and he can still make a full recovery. Both surgery and radiation have its risks, but are his best chance."

"And if it's malignant?" I asked.

The doctor sighed. "I don't want you to worry if there is no need. Most tumors are not malignant."

"He will die?"

The doctor knew I wasn't backing down. "In the very small change that the tumor is atypical or malignant, we would still follow the same treatment plan. If it is malignant, his chances of reoccurring are high. In patients with malignant tumors, survival rates are quite poor."

My stomach lurched. "But as I said, it is more likely that the tumor is not malignant, but we must do a biopsy to know for sure. If we do absolutely nothing, his symptoms will continue and worsen. I suggest you talk seriously about what you want to do."

"How soon will you do the surgery?"

"We can schedule it within the next couple weeks."

"Okay," I said, starting to feel nauseous myself. "Thank you. I will talk to Yuuri about it. Can I still take him home tomorrow?"

"Most likely, yes," the doctor answered. "He seems to be recovering from his seizure, and we will send him home with medication to help prevent another seizure, as well as medication to help his migraines."

"Thank you," I said again. I walked away, back into Yuuri's room where he was still asleep. I ran into the bathroom and lost the contents of my breakfast as I vomited in the toilet.

The doctor reviewed all the possible symptoms Yuuri may experience with us the next day and wrote prescriptions for medication to be filled. Yuuri and I had talked over what the doctors had said and decided to schedule the surgery. It would be happening in eleven days; until then, Yuuri could go home.

He was feeling much better today, and was even able to eat. After deciding to go with the surgery, Yuuri also seemed to be in better spirits, for at least we had a plan. The doctors seemed to believe that the surgery was all that he would need, and after his recovery everything would be better again.

Yakov came to pick us up from the hospital, bring Yurio along. Yurio seemed pleased to see Yuuri looking better. Yurio let us know that everyone had sent their get well wishes. Yuuri seemed embarrassed by all the attention. Even Yakov was friendlier than usual, telling Yuuri that he had no need to worry and that a tumor wouldn't even be able to stop him from competing next season. Everyone was much more optimistic than I felt, though I did my best to hide my uneasiness. I knew I wouldn't feel better until Yuuri came out of surgery okay and the doctors said that the tumor was benign.

Yakov dropped us off at my apartment. Yurio decided to stay for a bit. I could tell that he too was still worried about Yuuri, though he'd never admit it. I decided to order us in dinner, and we spent the evening eating and watching movies on TV, bringing out laughter and relaxation that we hadn't felt in a while. Yurio left that night, but not before telling Yuuri that he better be fine, or he would never forgive him.

Yuuri seemed happy to be back in our bed. "I hate hospitals so much," he told me, stretching out. "There's just no good way to actually feel comfortable when you're there."

I smiled at him. "Not even with me snuggled next to you?"

He chuckled. He studied my face for a moment. "I'm okay, Victor."

"Hm?" I said, looking away.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you are worried."

"Well of course I am, I love you," I told him, getting into bed with him. "I just want you to be healthy and strong."

He snuggled into me, putting his head on my chest. "I'm sorry. I know this has been hard on you."

I kissed his head. "Don't worry about me, love. Just focus on getting better. Let me know if you feel unwell or if you need anything. Please, promise me that."

"I promise you."

I closed my eyes. I treasured being able to hold him like this. He was so warm, so familiar. I felt the guilt rising in me again that he had been sick all this time and I had been mad at him for it. I had believed that he had been lying to me when really it had been a damn tumor.

"I'm sorry, Yuuri," I told him.

"For what?"

"For not believing you during practice. For not trying to convince you to see a doctor sooner, or-"

He sat up and looked at me. "It doesn't matter, Victor. Neither of us were able to see this coming. I knew I didn't feel well and I didn't try to help myself, either. It doesn't matter and we can't change what has happened. I just need you to hold me now."

He lay back down and I held him tightly against me. I would gladly hold him for the rest of time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed this story, it means a lot! I used to write fan fiction a lot but it's been quite a while, but it's definitely been fun!** **This story will not be very long but does have a few more chapter. I hope you enjoy! ~Kate**

The eleven days before the surgery passed quickly. We spent every day together, and with our friends. Yuuri told his family not to come, and that he was okay. I had promised them that I would take good care of Yuuri and keep them up to date on his condition. Our friends had been very supportive as well, sending good luck and get well wishes from around the world. They had not made Yuuri's condition public, however, so they kept the information away from social media.

The night before the surgery, I made Yuuri my very best rendition of his mother's pork culet bowl. Yuuri seemed so happy and told me that it tasted just like his mother's. I knew it wasn't quite that good, but still enjoyed the compliment and was happy to see Yuuri enjoying himself. Yurio joined us for dinner as well. Though I was smiling on the outside, I could not help but wonder if this would be the last time we were all able to sit around the table like this.

That night neither of us slept very much. We lay there in the darkness, holding each other tightly. We knew that even the surgery carried its risks and there was a chance that complications could happen. Yuuri could lose his memory, his speech, or he could even die there on the table. I hated to think about it but the thoughts wouldn't go away.

"Yuuri," I whispered, unsure if he was even awake.

"Yeah?" Yuuri whispered back.

"I love you, more than I can ever put into words. My life has been beautiful again with you in it."

Yuuri was quiet for a moment. "I love you, too. Thank you for all that you've done for me Victor, and not just since this happened. For everything. I want you to know that I wouldn't be where I am today without you."

He turned to me and I kissed him, deeply, passionately, as if my life depended on it. He kissed me back as I ran my fingers through his hair, breathing him in, remembering his smell, his taste, the feel of his body against mine. I wanted to remember everything forever.

"Alright, it's time to take him back now."

I was afraid. So, so afraid. I wasn't ready to let him go. I wasn't ready for the possibility that I may never see him again. His smile, his voice, his hand in mine, I treasured it all. I put my forehead against his, our hands intertwined. "Fight like hell, Yuuri. Don't leave me here alone."

"I will," he answered. The doctors were waiting, so I kissed his forehead, squeezing his hand. "I love you, Yuuri Katsuki."

"I love you, Victor."

They pulled him away, our hands breaking apart. It felt like they took a piece of me with them into that operating room. I wasn't complete. I was lost. The nurse led me back to the waiting room, and every step I took made me feel more scared. Yurio was there, and to my surprise, he embraced me. I could never remember the kid doing that before, and it took me by surprise.

"Don't look like he died already. He's alive, and he needs us to believe in him," Yurio told me. He pushed me away, looking embarrassed yet firm. "Don't give up on him."

I nodded, knowing he was right. I could never give up on Yuuri. He needed me to be his strength when he had none. I had to believe that he would be okay.

I forced myself to try and breathe normally. He had to be okay. There was no other option. We had barely been able to begin our time together. I looked at the gold band on my finger, the ring that Yuuri gave to me before the last Grand Prix. I had told him that I would marry him when he brought the gold medal home. The truth was I would marry Yuuri in a heartbeat. We hadn't known each other long and we hadn't even been living together that long either. But I know that I loved him more than I had ever loved anyone. No one took away my breath like Yuuri did. No one ignited the fire inside me like Yuuri did. I had been coasted through life before I met him, and now, I was living. Before I had met Yuuri I had countless fans, many good friends, and any lover I had wanted. But Yuuri gave me something that no one ever had. He gave me a reason to wake up and try hard every morning. He gave me someone to call family. I hadn't been close with my own family. In all honesty, I had never really been very close to anyone.

I had always been alone until I met Yuuri Katsuki.

He wasn't going to die. He wasn't allowed to. He was the only person I could ever imagine spending my life with. My life could not be as beautiful if he wasn't in it.

A nurse came out after about an hour and a half to let us know that the surgery was going as planned and was about half way through. It was reassuring to know that Yuuri was holding up okay. The doctor had explained what entailed during a craniotomy, and I shuddered at the thought of what they were doing. But I knew that they had to. I knew that they had to do everything they could to help Yuuri. They would also be doing a biopsy of the tumor during surgery so we could know for sure whether or not the tumor was malignant. Though I knew better, I had done research on my own about malignant brain tumors since the doctors hadn't wanted to tell me anything. Now I knew why. Malignant tumors were deadly, with a small chance of survival. I prayed to whatever gods would listen to me that his tumor was benign.

Yurio brought me food about an hour after the nurse came, but I barely ate it. I was getting nervous knowing that the surgery should be close to being over. I just wanted to see Yuuri, to hold his hand and take his pain away. I knew recovery would be hard on him. Although we hadn't talked about it all, the doctor had mentioned that Yuuri would not be able to return to playing any sports for months. Depending on complications or further treatments, it could even be a year.

He wouldn't be able to skate next season. As if life wasn't shitty enough already, he wouldn't even be able to focus on skating. I knew that Yuuri was taking it hard, but he didn't say anything about it to me, and I didn't mention it to him. I didn't care if he had to take a season off. I just wanted him to be safe and healthy.

"You look like shit," Yurio told me as I played with the cup of noodles he had brought me. "You should really eat, or like, take a nap or something. It won't do you any good to drive yourself into the ground."

"I know," I answered, and took a bite of the noodles to prove my point. "It's just hard."

Yurio sighed. "You've changed a lot."

I looked at him and smirked. "So have you. It seems Yuuri Katsuki has that effect on people."

Yurio scoffed and looked away. "He didn't change me. You're the one following him around like a puppy."

I chuckled. It was true, after all.

We fell silent again. Every minute seemed to move slower. Was it taking longer than normal? Did something happen? The noodles in my stomach were churning. Would they tell me if something went wrong? His family was texting and calling me, asking if I had heard anything more, and I barely had the energy to answer them.

Finally, after what felt like an endless amount of time, the doctor came out. He looked tired, which made me nervous. I jumped up and met him halfway. Yurio stayed behind, but I could feel him watching.

"He's out of surgery and in recovery," the doctor told me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath. Yuuri was alive. "I have good and bad news," the doctor continued. "The good news is that Yuuri is stable. However, there were some problems during the surgery. Unfortunately, I was not able to remove the entire tumor, for his blood pressure began to fall and I didn't want to risk continuing the extraction."

"Okay," I said, my head spinning with the information. "So what does that mean?"

"He will have to undergo further treatment," the doctor told me. "Most likely radiation therapy, but not for a few weeks until he is healing well. But we removed most of the tumor, so you needn't worry. We also removed a sample for a biopsy, and as soon as the results come back and we know for sure what kind of tumor we are dealing with, we will set a treatment plan. For now we will focus on his recovery from surgery. As soon as he comes out of anesthesia and if able to come off of the ventilator, we will move him into ICU and you will be able to see him. I'll have a nurse come out to take you to him. We can talk more then, as well."

"Okay," I said again. I felt both relieved he was alive and afraid of the situation at the same time. "Thank you."

The doctor left and I made my way back to Yurio. I didn't realize that I was shaking until I sat back down. I put my head in my hands and sighed.

"Are you okay?" he asked me quietly. I took a couple deep breaths before answering.

"I will be," I said.

"He's alive," Yurio reminded me. "He's alive. Take one victory at a time."

I laughed. "I'm the adult, and you're the child. I should be comforting you."

Yurio scoffed at me. "Have you met yourself, Victor?"

I laughed again, thankful that he was there with me.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **Agagin a huge thank you to everyone following/favoriting/ reviewing! There will be two more chapters after this one, i hope you enjoy!**

After what had seemed like the longest hours of my life, they finally took me to see Yuuri. The nurse explained to be that Yuuri would have to be in intensive care the first couple days so they could monitor him closely. I felt uncomfortable in such a place, surrounded by so many people who were sick and hurt. When we finally reached the room Yuuri was in, I stopped before going inside, mentally preparing myself to see him. I wasn't sure if he would be awake or not, and I wanted to make sure that I was ready.

The nurse turned back to look at me. "It's okay," she said. "I know it's a lot to take in. He's still pretty out of it but he's doing really well so far."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I stepped through the doorway. Yuuri looked so different. He had a bandage around his head and multiple wires connecting to his body that made nearby machines beep. He looked like he went through hell. Brain surgery can do that to you, I suppose.

Nervously I moved closer to the bed. "You can touch him," the nurse said with a smile. "He's okay. I mean don't headbutt him or anything, but you can hold his hand."

I nodded and picked up his left hand and held it in both of mine, careful to avoid the sensor on his finger. His hands were warm and familiar, which was comforting. "I'll be back in a little bit," the nurse said, and left us alone. I stood there silently, his hand in mine, studying him _. Pull yourself_ t _ogether_ , I told myself. I was supposed to be there for him, not afraid of him.

Yuuri's eyes fluttered. The corner of his mouth raised just enough to count as a smile. "Hey," he said, though his voice was nothing more than a whisper.

I felt my throat get tight. I placed my lips against his fingers. "I love you, Yuuri Katsuki."

His smile was slightly bigger but he didn't say anything. His fingers twitched in mine, and he closed his eyes again.

The nurse and doctors visited frequently. As Yuuri began to wake up a little more they asked him more and more questions, from his name to the date, or to wiggle his toes and fingers. They were making sure that he was still functioning, and he seemed to be doing well. I fell asleep in the chair next to his bed, exhausted by the day.

The doctor came in the next morning. Yuuri was a lot more alert though he was still tired and weak. The doctor went over the events of the surgery with us again and explained that we would probably not hear back about the biopsy results until tomorrow or the next day. The waiting was the worst part.

Later that day they made Yuuri try getting out of bed. He was off balance and very slow, but was able to take a few steps, which everyone seemed thrilled about. He was making great progress. I stayed with him all day, but I kept my distance as well. I wanted nothing more than to scoop him up and hold him, but I was also so afraid. I didn't want to hurt him or cause him discomfort.

"Victor," Yuuri said to me, after the doctors and nurses had left and he was settled back in bed. "I know I'm not the best looking guy in town right now and everything, but you don't have to be afraid of me."

"You are the best looking guy in town, actually," I told him, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. I'm not afraid of you, I just…." My voice trailed off and I sighed.

"I'm okay," Yuuri said, and patted the bed. "Sit with me?"

I smiled at him and did as I was told. I grabbed his hand, longing to pull him into an embrace. His fingers squeezed mine, his grip still weak but stronger than it was before. I didn't notice until drops landed on our hands that I was crying.

"I'm sorry," he told me. "I'm sorry that I have to put you through this-"

"No!" I told him, not even bothering to wipe my tears. "Don't apologize, please. I'm not mad at you. I just…it's just not fair that this had to happen to you. I can't handle seeing you like this. I just want to fix everything, but I can't. I just want to see you happy and healthy. I want to live the rest of my life out with you."

A little pink came into Yuuri's cheeks. "I do, too," he said. He reached his hand out and touched my face, it shaking slightly from the effort. I put my hand over his and closed my eyes. "I promise I'll work my hardest and be better before you know it."

The words made even more tears escape me. Here he was, lying in a hospital bed after having his brain cut open and he was trying to comfort me.

"You're doing so good, love," I told him, and gently leaned in kissed his lips, careful to avoid the bandages on his head. "I'm so proud of you and everything that you do."

Yuuri smiled and looked genuinely pleased. I could tell he was tired. "You should get some rest, my love," I told him. "I promise that I'll be here when you wake up."

The results from the biopsy came in two days later. Yuuri had been doing very well. He was able to get out of bed more and was healing well. I would be able to take him home in a couple more days, and we were both more than ready to leave the hospital. I had grown more comfortable with Yuuri since the night we talked about it, and he seemed happier. I turned my fear and worry into determination, helping him with his exercises and testing out his memory by sharing old memories. Everything was going well.

And then the results came and the doctor came in to explain it to us. The fear that I had been trying to force down came back. I grabbed Yuuri's hand and squeezed it, and he squeezed back. I knew he was afraid too.

"I'm sorry for the wait on this," the doctor told us. "I know the wait has been hard so I'm just going to cut straight to the chase. Yuuri's tumor came back as atypical. What this means is that it falls somewhere in between being benign and malignant. These types of tumors grow a little more quickly and have a higher chance of reoccurrence than a benign tumor would."

He paused, maybe waiting to see if we had questions, but both Yuuri and I just looked at him fearfully. "Treatment will still follow the same course," the doctor continued. "You've been recovering very well Yuuri, and we couldn't be happier about that. However, you still need some time to heal before we begin radiation treatment to destroy what's left of the tumor."

"He's going to be okay, though, right?" I asked. I realized I was holding Yuuri's hand quite tightly and loosened my grip.

"As I said, there is a higher chance of reoccurrence with this degree of tumor. He will have to attend follow ups and get routine scanning to monitor for future tumor growth. It's possible it may never happen again, but it's possible it might as well."

"Okay," Yuuri said, and looked up at me. "It's okay, Victor. It's better than it being malignant."

"It's true," the doctor agreed. "Plus, you are young and otherwise healthy. You have that on your side. You're lucky enough that we found out about the tumor when we did and were able to remove most of it. Radiation will destroy any tumor cells left. It could have been a lot worse."

"Thank you, doctor," I said, still not feeling reassured. I forced myself to smile down at Yuuri, who was looking up at me, his eyes begging me to assure him everything would be okay.

I just had to remind myself that there was no other choice.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** **This story is almost over! There is one, short chapter after this one. I'm hoping to start working on another Victor/Yuuri fix once I find some inspiration! Anyway, I hope you** **enjoy the ending to this short story. Thank you for the support! ~Kate**

I was able to bring Yuuri home finally. He was under strict instructions as to what he could and could not do, and had more medication than I had ever seen, but he was going home, and we were both happy. Again, Yakov and Yurio came to pick us up from the hospital and drive us home. Yurio kept looking at Yuuri and not saying anything. I could tell he wanted to say something to him but wasn't sure what to say. I distracted him by asking how practice with Yakov had been going, to which Yurio said "fine," and looked away. Yuuri smiled but didn't say anything.

Yakov and Yurio didn't stay once we were home and inside the apartment, though we were told to let them know if we needed anything. "They couldn't get out of here fast enough," Yuuri said, cuddling into the pillows on the couch and closing his eyes. "I guess that's what happens when you're the brain tumor guy."

"Stop it," I told him, sitting next to him on the couch. He turned and snuggled into me instead. It was the first time that I had been able to hold him like this, and it felt amazing. "You're just Yuuri. I'm sure they just figured you were tired."

"Hm," Yuuri answered, his eyes still closed. "You're so warm. Hospital beds are not this warm."

I kissed the top of his head, and then started, forgetting that I had been trying to avoid touching his head.

"It's okay," he told me. "It didn't…."

He got quiet. "Yuuri?" I asked, nervous. I realized that there was no one else here to help us now if something went wrong, and it was a little frightening.

"Sorry," he finally answered. "I'm tired and you're comfortable."

I smiled. I felt my heart flutter in the way that only Yuuri could make it. "Get as comfortable as you want, my love."

The air was cold but refreshing. Yuuri had wanted to go for a walk, and I agreed to it. His doctor had said walking was the best exercise Yuuri could get right now. We had been home for a couple days now, and Yuuri was getting tired of being in the house. He would still get dizzy so I kept my arm around him and we walked in the cool afternoon air. I decided to lead him towards the water so we could sit and look out at the waves for a bit. We made our way there slowly, enjoying the moment and also trying not to push Yuuri too much. We made it to the pier and found a bench looking out at the water. Though it was a short walk for me I could tell Yuuri was tired. He put his head on my shoulder as we gazed out at the vast water.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I asked him. "There's something about the water that always brings me peace."

Yuuri didn't say anything. I looked down at him and was startled to see he was crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a panic. "Are you in pain? Do you feel-"

"No, it's not that," he answered me. "I just…I'm just happy to be here looking out at the ocean with you, Victor. My life the fast few weeks, hell the past few months even, has been so crazy. I'm just so happy that I'm here, that I'm alive, and that you are still here with me even after everything."

"Yuuri I would never leave you," I told him, wiping his tears. "Especially not because you are sick. I love you more and more with each day, and I can't imagine ever spending my life away from you." He sniffled and turned his head into my shoulder. It honestly relieved me to see that he was finally letting himself go. I knew that he had been putting on a brave face when he was terrified on the inside.

"Thank you," he told me. "I could never thank you enough for everything that you've done for me."

I grabbed his hand and traced his gold band with my thumb. "I want to marry you, Yuuri."

"I know, once I win the gold you're going to marry me."

I kissed his hand. "I want to marry you now."

He lifted his head and looked at me. "You-?"

"I mean, once you are feeling better and everything," I said, grinning awkwardly. "But I don't need a gold medal to want to marry you, Yuuri. I know now more than ever that what I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to make up next to you every morning, and fall asleep next to you every night. I love you, Yuuri. More than I have ever loved another human being."

He stared at me is if I was crazy. More tears poured from his eyes. "You're sure? But what if-"

I put my finger to his lips. "No _but what ifs_. There is nothing you could say that would change the way I feel. I don't care if you don't win the gold, or if your tumor comes back or if you lose all your hair. I will love you no matter what."

"I love you," he told me, and buried his face in my shoulder again. We sat there for a while, and once the sun started to set, we made our way back home.

"Victor!"

Yuuri woke me up in the middle of the night. Confused, I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus on him. His face was pale in the darkness.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, sitting up, suddenly awake.

"I d-don't-"

He suddenly began seizing again. I jumped up and rolled him over, careful to make sure he didn't fall out of bed. The doctor had warned me this could happen and prepared me for it, though my heart was still racing. Luckily it didn't last very long and his body relaxed. I stayed there with him and rubbed his back as his breathing evened out. I tried to calm myself as well. This was going to happen. It was to be expected. But it still scared me.

Life was going to be scary. It was going to be hard. I just had to remind myself that we would get through it. I had to believe that.

After a couple minutes Yuuri came to again.

"What happened?" he asked me shakily.

"You had another seizure," I told him, pushing his hair out of his face. "It's over now. How are you feeling?"

Yuuri chuckled weakly. "I feel like shit." He fell silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I would feel like shit too."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"I'm grateful that you did. You could have fallen out of bed and hurt yourself."

"I'm sorry-"

"Yuuri stop." I placed my hand against his face. "I've told you this how many times. Don't apologize. It's okay. I'm okay. We're okay. I want to be here. I love you. Okay?"

"Okay," he answered, closing his eyes.

Our life wasn't perfect, and there was a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, but I was okay with that. Yuuri Katsuki was worth it.

Radiation therapy began after Yuuri had been home for a couple weeks. I had to take him every weekday for a month. Yuuri was often tired and would get headaches, but otherwise was doing quite well. We made trips to the ice rink to visit Yurio and the others, and Yuuri would ask me to skate for him, and I would. His eyes lit up when he watched me, and it made my heart flutter to see him look at me that way. Yurio was comfortable enough to be himself around Yuuri now, and Yuuri seemed to appreciate it, laughing at Yurio's moody outbursts.

"Let me skate with you," Yuuri said one day, when we had stopped by after his treatment.

"But the doctor said-" I protested, but he cut me off.

"I won't do any quads or anything, calm down. I just want to be out there with you. Please."

I felt unsure, but the look on his face made me cave. I helped him lace up his skates, and making sure I held on to his hand, I led him out on the rink.

It was obvious Yuuri would have a lot of work to do when the time came for him to really get back out there. He was shaky and slow and did nothing but glide over the ice, his hand in mine. But he looked happier than I had seen him in weeks. I could tell that being out here meant a lot to him. Skating meant a lot to him.

"I know I have to take this season off," he told me, "but next season I'm going to put my all into it. I'm going to work harder than I have ever worked in my life, and I'm going to win."

I slid in front of him, putting my finger under his chin. "I'm looking forward to it," I told him, and kissed him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is the last chapter! Short and sweet! Thank you so much for reading and your support!**

As we stepped out into the parking lot, I tackled hugged Yuuri, unable to contain my happiness any longer. We had just gotten the news from the doctor that any trace of the tumor had been destroyed. The treatment had worked, and Yuuri was now 100% tumor free. It had been over two months that this hellish nightmare had begun, and I couldn't be any happier that things were finally starting to look up.

Yuuri laughed as I lifted him off his feet. "Yuuri Katsuki, you have no idea how happy I am."

"Calm down Victor," he laughed, though I knew he was enjoying it.

"I will not calm down! I want the whole world to know that the man that I love is tumor free!" I kissed him, unable to hold back as people passing by us looked at us awkwardly. After a moment we broke apart, and I smiled down at him. He cheeks were red, making him look adorable. I lightly traced the scar on his head with my finger. Yuuri was self-conscious about it, but I found it beautiful. The surgery had saved his life, after all.

"We need to celebrate. We can invite everyone!" I said happily.

Yuuri smiled shyly at me. "I know one way that we can celebrate," he told me. He raised his hand, showing me his ring. "We can make it official."

"Are you proposing to me, Yuuri?"

"Didn't we already kind of do that?"

I laughed. "I could not think of a better way to celebrate."

Cheers erupted around me. Sweat poured down my face as I caught my breath. I had done it. I had skated better than I had ever skated in my life. People were cheering my name, but only one person mattered to me in that moment. I found him, grinning tearfully at me with his arms wide open, waiting for me. I tuned out the rest of the world around me and skated over to him, throwing myself into his arms.

"That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Yuuri told me, hugging me tightly. "It was beautiful, Victor. You've won the gold for sure!"

"I did it all for you," I told him, kissing his forehead.

As I held the gold medal over my head, I took in everything around me. I wanted to remember the lights, the cheers, the happiness I felt in that moment. I had already decided that this was my last competition. I had many glorious years and I had loved every moment of competing in skating. But I was ready to retire.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Yuuri asked me when we finally got a moment alone together.

"Yes," I told him. "After all, I'm going to be too busy coaching the one and only Yuuri Katsuki next season. You did say you were going to win the gold, didn't you?"

He grinned at me. "I don't know if I need to anymore, since I've already married you."

"Is that how it is?" I asked him, moving in closer. "Don't you want to have me as your coach?"

"My coach, my husband, I want you as my everything," Yuuri smiled.

Things had been far from perfect for Yuuri and I. He still suffered from the occasional seizure, which at this point would most likely be a life-long illness. The fear of a tumor reoccurring was always at the back of my mind. Every time Yuuri had a headache or was sick I would worry. But so far everything had been okay, and I was thankful for it.

Yuuri's illness had changed the both of us. I had learned to treasure every moment that I spent with him, as well as others that I cared about. Life could change in the blink of an eye. But it also made us stronger. The small worries that many people often had trouble with were nothing for us. All that mattered was that we were together and enjoying every moment of our life together.

I was the luckiest man alive, after all, to have found the person that made my life shine again. No matter what happened or what troubles we would face, I knew I was never going to let him go.


End file.
